Walking Art Tour – New to FemFest!

We’re excited to introduce something new to FemFest this year: a brand-new walking art tour! The tour will explore parts of Winnipeg’s downtown area, shining a light on some of our city’s hidden gems. Hosted by Heather Witherden and coordinated by Daphne Finlayson, the tour will feature a mix of spoken word, comedy, visual art, movement, and music as audiences tour the downtown area, spanning Memorial Boulevard to Ellice Avenue. Learn more about our line-up of artists below!

Alexandra Elliott and Hilary Anne Crist, both of Art Holm, will be performing a movement piece at The Hudson’s Bay on Portage Ave. According to Alexandra, audiences should look forward to their performance “because the main prop is a doctor’s medical exam table and as of this current moment, I have no idea what will happen. But there will be two women clad in purple hospital gowns doing contemporary dance.”

Dawn Lavand, who describes herself as “a daydreamer without enough sleep,” will be lighting up Portage Place with stand-up comedy. As she says, “laughter is medicine. I can be hilarious – come get a dose, community-style.”

Emilie Lemay is a French-Canadian visual artist, who will be live painting at the University of Winnipeg for the walking art tour. In her performance, “people will get to see a painting created live in the heart of the city and and they will be a part of its creation story.”

Tiana Northage will be bringing spoken word poetry to the Winnipeg Art Gallery as part of the walking tour. This Winnipeg poet describes herself as “a living chameleon, and her wardrobe’s a mood-ring. This package is fragile – please handle with care.” On her poetry, she says, “coming to see my performances is like getting a live diary reading. I’m letting you in on the sad scary thoughts you thought only you had. Together we can ride the emotions out, and leave with a sense of not being so alone.”

And last but definitely not least, waNda wilsoN will be serenading audiences from Saigon Park across the street from the University of Winnipeg. Wanda plays an eclectic mix of raw and sweet material, expressing strength, humour, hope and pain in her own alternative way.

The Walking Art Tour will be taking place on Wednesday, September 19 at 5:30pm and again on Saturday, September 22 at 2:00pm. The walk itself is approximately 2 kilometers, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes. Get your tickets here!

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